Extreme weather in Greece traps residents and submerges villages

ATHENS, Greece — A night of heavy rainfall compounded major flooding in central Greece, leaving some villages almost completely under water Thursday and prompting the government to deploy armed forces to help rescue residents from the worst-hit areas.

At least six people have died in Greece as a result of the extreme weather conditions this week, according to the country’s fire service. And the toll could rise amid reports of missing residents.

Fire service vehicles were unable to reach many of the worst-hit spots because the water was so deep, reaching 6 feet in some parts, according to the government spokesperson, Pavlos Marinakis. He said divers from the fire service were using dinghies to try to reach trapped residents, but it was difficult for aircraft to access some of the areas because of lightning. The coast guard was sending divers to help in the rescue efforts.

In neighboring Turkey, at least nine people have been killed in floods that have hit multiple areas in the country since Sunday, including Istanbul, the most populous city.

Global warming has brought more intense wildfires and flooding to Greece in recent years, and last month’s fires in northern Greece were the biggest ever recorded in Europe, according to European Union officials. Meteorologists have been stunned by the level of rainfall that has pounded central Greece this week, calling it the heaviest in decades.

Greek military forces were helping to rescue trapped citizens and repair major damage to roads to restore transport, the head of the armed forces, Konstantinos Floros, said at a news conference Thursday.

“All our forces are on standby and operating in the affected areas,” he said, adding that 11 vehicles and 30 dinghies were in operation and that more would be mobilized while seven helicopters were on standby. Special military units have been dispatched to areas where bridges have collapsed to help rebuild them, he said.

The Greek prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, has ordered the creation of an operations center to coordinate the rescues of trapped residents, distribute food and water, and try to restore power and running water. He was being briefed Thursday on the extent of the damage to homes and infrastructure by civil protection and emergency service officials and was planning to tour the affected region this weekend, the government spokesperson said.

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